(a) Field of Disclosure
The present disclosure of invention relates to a display device and a driving method thereof. More particularly, the present invention relates to a display device capable of improving visibility and a driving method thereof.
(b) Description of Related Technology
Display devices such as liquid crystal displays (LCDs), organic light emitting device based (OLED) displays and so on generally include a display panel that includes a plurality of pixel units each including one or more switching elements and a corresponding plurality of signal lines coupled to the respective switching elements. The panel-based display devices will also typically include a gray scale voltages generator that generates gray scale reference voltages, a data lines driver that uses the generated gray scale reference voltages to generate a corresponding plurality of gray scale drive voltages and to apply the gray scale drive voltages to respective data lines in accordance with a supplied input image signal.
One form of liquid crystal display (LCD) device includes two spaced apart display panels, a first having pixel electrodes driven by the switching elements and a second having opposed electrodes that cooperate with the pixel electrodes to generate respective electric fields. A liquid crystal material layer is interposed between the first and second panels and is configured to have a dielectric anisotropy. The pixel electrodes are arranged as a matrix and are connected to respective switching elements such as to respective thin film transistors (TFTs) or the like. The pixel electrodes sequentially receive corresponding data drive voltages on a column-by-column and/or row-by-row basis. The opposed electrodes are formed on the opposed panel and are typically supplied with a predetermined common voltage Vcom. Voltages applied to the pixel electrodes and to the opposed electrodes generate respective electric fields extending into the liquid crystal layer. The strengths of these electric fields may be controlled so as to thereby control one or more attributes (e.g., polarization) of light being transmitted through the liquid crystal layer, to thereby obtain desired images.
A problem with the liquid crystal displays is that they tend to have reduced side view visibility as compared to head-on frontal visibility. In order to overcome this problem, one method divides each pixel into two corresponding subpixels and applies different voltages to the two subpixels so as to thereby form different liquid crystal domains that can be respectively better seen in a frontal view and a side view. With only two subpixels per pixel there appears to be a limit as to how many different liquid crystal domains can be generated during each of plural image frames. The present disclosure shows that this need not be so.
It is to be understood that this background of the technology section is intended to provide useful background for understanding the here disclosed technology and as such, the technology background section may include ideas, concepts or recognitions that were not part of what was known or appreciated by those skilled in the pertinent art prior to corresponding invention dates of subject matter disclosed herein.